Every one of the RMEF chapters does incredible work for elk country, and every year, RMEF recognizes some of the outstanding achievements of its chapters with national awards. The 2020 awards are in! Below are just some of the categories with inspiring results. For a complete list of chapter awards, contact your regional director.
Grand Junction, Colorado, Vansant, Virginia, and Evansville, Indiana, inspired the most lifetime loyalty to RMEF, signing up 45, 44 and 39 new life members respectively in 2019.
The Howard, South Dakota Chapter, took first place for total chapter achievement for a new chapter, raising $42,000, while the Rifle Chapter in Rifle, Colorado, won second place honors, netting $33,822. “It was great to see how the people of the Rifle, Colorado, area stepped up to support RMEF,” says Rifle Chapter co-chair Randy Sloan. “This is what Rifle is all about. We had several great people step up and volunteer on the committee, and they made this new chapter a great success. Thank you to all of you.”
The Tucson and Grand Junction Chapters put on another great showing, netting more than half a million dollars each. Grand Junction snatched the first place title in the total chapter achievement category back from Tucson this year. “They’re a good group down there,” says 31-year Grand Junction co-chair Terry Sweet, about Tucson. “Except my group was better this year,” he jokes, laughing.
Grand Junction netted $565,908 for elk country compared to Tucson’s $557,490, and reached all-time earnings of $6 million. “You know I’ve got one of the greatest committees in the country, and it’s just been a pleasure to steer the ship,” says Sweet. “They know their jobs.” Salt Lake City, Utah, rounded out third place in total chapter achievement, raising $231,665.
Bend Oregon net the third highest net at a single big game banquet with $134,810, and Tucson edged Grand Junction for first place net at a big game banquet with $221,134. “We’re all very proud of it,” says Tucson Chapter co-chair Fred Wiemann. “All the accolades and thank yous really go to the committee as a whole. We have a really outstanding committee, and they do above and beyond what it takes to get things done. We have a little friendly rivalry with our good friends up in Grand Junction. They’re like family to us; we go to support them; they come to support us.”
Award categories and winners:
Highest net at a big game banquet:
- 04086 Tucson, AZ $221,134
- 06089 Grand Junction, CO $142,071
- 37019 Bend, OR $134,810
Highest total chapter achievement:
- 06089 Grand Junction, CO $565,908
- 04086 Tucson, AZ $557,490
- 44015 Salt Lake City, UT $231,666
Highest total chapter achievement by a new chapter:
- 41759 Howard, SD $42,471
- 06761 Rifle, CO $33,822
Best net to gross ratio at a banquet:
- 42743 Shelbyville, TN 86.4%
- 13185 Mountain Home, ID 76.1%
- 47004 Olympia, WA 75.0%
Highest number of new Life Members signed up:
- 06089 Grand Junction, CO 45
- 45708 Vansant, VA 44
- 15334 Evansville, IN 39
Total Chapter Achievement over $100,000
06089 Grand Junction, CO $565,909
04086 Tucson, AZ $557,491
44015 Salt Lake City, UT $231,666
26145 Bozeman, MT $227,195
26003 Kalispell, MT $198,032
13144 Coeur D’Alene, ID $188,890
37019 Bend, OR $182,637
26106 Billings, MT $172,015
50448 Lander, WY $151,974
26037 Butte, MT $144,515
15334 Evansville, IN $141,985
50100 Cheyenne, WY $139,338
26079 Great Falls, MT $137,963
26032 Missoula, MT $136,596
06078 Denver, CO $134,552
13005 Lewiston, ID $134,231
05395 Yreka, CA $134,035
32014 Albuquerque, NM $132,283
06322 Eagle/Vail, CO $129,310
37235 Tillamook, OR $127,962
28245 Williston, ND $126,154
47131 Tri Cities, WA $123,367
43174 Austin, TX $122,172
47026 Everett, WA $122,066
05103 Redding, CA $120,704
43033 Midland, TX $120,099
50064 Rock Springs, WY $116,301
47124 Longview/Kelso, WA $112,613
13160 Moscow, ID $112,494
26330 Hamilton, MT $111,556
47022 Vancouver, WA $110,486
13185 Mountain Home, ID $110,277
27194 Asheville, NC $109,547
13031 Boise, ID $107,801
38139 Pittsburgh, PA $107,475
45708 Vansant, VA $106,371
43062 Houston, TX $105,532
37162 Roseburg, OR $102,134
47004 Olympia, WA $101,975
50138 Sheridan, WY $101,451
27228 Charlotte, NC $100,108
New $1 Million Chapters
04060 Prescott, AZ $1,062,724
50043 Buffalo, WY $1,035,793
08280 Dover, DE $1,032,360
06322 Eagle/Vail, CO $1,028,181
47208 Port Angeles, WA $1,027,781
26076 Libby, MT $1,024,838
41359 Lead/Deadwood, SD $1,022,430
47119 Aberdeen/Ocean Shores, WA $1,009,336
14355 Rockford, IL $1,008,370
41254 Spearfish/Sturgis, SD $1,007,439
28187 Grand Forks, ND $1,005,043
48000 Wisconsin $1,004,440
New $2 Million Chapters
47131 Tri Cities, WA $2,092,643
06016 Colorado Springs, CO $2,048,228
New $3 Million Chapters
26003 Kalispell, MT $3,103,083
13005 Lewiston, ID 3,099,217
43062 Houston, TX $3,042,206
New $4 Million Chapters
38139 Pittsburgh, PA $4,101,034
New $6 Million Chapters
06089 Grand Junction, CO $6,361,056